As a mother, I feel that there are mostly the small victories that matter.Sure, there might be the big births, the graduations and the big or small weddings..But the everyday life has golden moments that a mother lives to cherish or lives to regret.One big small personal victory is that I have more and more of the first and less and less of the last.Last weekend I gave myself a small holiday after the hard (and loved!) work that April's Shine was.

I also kinda had it in my system as May 1st till May 5th were imprinted in my memories as free days, in RO for different reasons than in the NL. Especially as a student I loved going with my friends to the seaside in a small vacation in the first days of May..

When I proposed an April SHINE challenge that would bring us from the Winter Slumber to the Sunny Summer I had no idea that the winter will still be lounging in my garden!

But still, it is. It is snowing today as we speak and write and read..:-)

Thus I believe a Shining Challenge is totally in order. It starts in 3 days, on April 1st (no fools here, right?), and for most of us it will be right after we had delighted in all those Easter chocolate rabbits and eggs:-)

I am sure most of you can relate..:-)

.. (if not, much muchos muchos respect for you!!)

I invite you to become friends with yourself. If you are already, even better, think of how you can make this friendship even sweeter. Think, how would you treat a loved one if she/he would come to visit for only 30! Days?

I invite you to commit to yourself. From one Shining Mama to other Shining Mama's (and we have a few Shining Papa's amongst us, too!!) - I am honored that you go along with me on this journey and I applaud you for being willing to take the time for yourself.

My blog starts with a brilliant idea of brilliant Tera. For (at least) 30 days I will write 10 things I love about myself and about the world. It is an exercise in gratitude which I want to share with you.

I totally and utterly love my son, every second.

I love that in spite of lack of time and external support as a single mother, I am still (!almost!) the whole time conscious about what is best for my baby instead of taking the easy way, like shout or be angry when I do not have the time or feel I cannot reach for patience. I love that I am a very good mother even amidst the "terrible two's'" trying times.

I love today. Even if we do not go out, there's a beautiful sun shining and the clouds are flying by very quickly.

I love that my son loves the books as much as (maybe more than?) me. He asks me to read a lot, which I do, and at his age he knows some 10 books or more by heart and says them along while I read. To understand what a performance that is, I was the one to read aloud all those books time after time after time but I do not know all of them by heart..:-)

I love that tomorrow I start my first "no impact week". I was very impressed by the film and the story so I am excitedly getting ready. These last weeks I already made some changes in my “impact” and will continue to do so.

I love it when my son comes to sit in my lap, like now, his warm body against mine, he playing with his feet on the table and with a tiny small car and me writing what I am grateful for.. Cause loving something is being grateful in action, seems to me.

Love the colors. Love my art. Love the way something just stands at the edge of my fingers, like a trampoline jumper ready to jump, and then it just melts on the paper and becomes something else, more beautiful than I could've imagined myself.

My intention is to support you to:- find focus and feel supported in your search for your health and wellness;​- find out more about pure CTPG essential oils;- find recipes and courses for Raw Food, Green Smoothies and such;- order shine raw yummy catering, raw chocolates and Shiny Boxes;- Buy Shine Art; - find inspiration and get empowered to take care of your body, mind and soul - and SHINE!

..Please Note (disclaimer):None of the products, claims or programs from this website have been evaluated by any government health body. The advice and suggestions given here are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease OR act as a substitute for a (face to face) consultation with a qualified medical doctor AND, as such, should not be construed as medical advice. Should you have any persistent symptoms or problems, please consult your doctor.